Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have recently learned more about genetic factors that are contributing to a person’s risk of developing atrial fibrillation, or AFib. Its when the heart beats irregularly and often, rapidly. AFib can increase the risk of other disorders in the heart, like stroke and heart failure. It might occur only occasionally, it may be persistent, or it may be a long-term condition.
In this video, Patrick Ellinor, MD, the director of Mass General's Cardiac Arrhythmia Service talks about a study that found more than 100 gene variations that influence atrial fibrillation. The research was a genome-wide association study (GWAS), in which researchers scour the genome for small genetic changes that alter a person’s traits in different ways.
Source: Mass General